DISGRACELAND
Double Elvis Productions
- 39 minutes 47 secondsAlice in Chains' Layne Staley: The Rooster, the Jungle, and Dying Young
Though they were one of the first so-called “grunge” bands to sign to a major label, Alice in Chains were something of an outlier in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s Seattle scene. They didn’t fall directly into the punk camp, or the hair metal camp, and even the true metalheads thought they weren’t hardcore enough. This became painfully evident when the band opened a tour for Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, and were hazed, spat on, and booed. Alice’s lead singer, Layne Staley, could take the criticism. He had a prankster’s spirit, not to mention a rock ‘n roll attitude that paired well with his killer rock ‘n roll voice. But newfound fame was overwhelming, as was the destructive addiction to heroin Layne developed to deal with it all. Soon Layne Staley found himself lost in a jungle of his own making, not unlike the jungle that he sang so convincingly about in one of Alice in Chains’ most endearing songs.
This episode was originally published on March 28, 2024.
Which Seattle artist or band hits you the hardest? Why? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
13 February 2026, 8:00 am - 47 minutes 45 secondsBonus Episode: A New Kurt Cobain Cause of Death Report and Artists Gone Too Soon
What can we take away from the new report on Kurt Cobain’s cause of death? And which rockstars gone too soon mattered to you the most? All this and more in the After Party.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12 February 2026, 8:00 am - 40 minutes 55 secondsMia Zapata: Missed Connections, the Dark End of the Street, and an Uncompromising Voice with No Fear
An uncompromising voice, silenced at the dark end of the street. A city looking for a killer in all the wrong places. And a scene that suddenly made little sense. From Seattle basements to European squat tours to record-label lunches and back again, through memory and justice. Listen to find out how Mia Zapata’s story refused to end where everyone thought it did.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
Facebook Fan Group
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10 February 2026, 8:01 am - 40 minutes 52 secondsThe Beatles (Pt. 2): Kamikaze Assassins, Acid Smuggling, Suicide, Kidnapping, and the Breakup the Greatest Band of All Time
At the height of their world-changing and culture-defining popularity, the Beatles faced death threats in foreign countries, an unfair tax rate in their own country that forced them to stash heaps of undeclared cash in brown paper bags, and the sudden suicide of their manager. But none of this could break up the band. Nor could LSD smuggling missions, drug busts, extramarital affairs or the deranged fans who came to their houses. Listen to learn what really tore the Beatles apart.
To see the complete list of contributors, visit disgracelandpod.com
This episode was originally published on March 2, 2021.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
Instagram
YouTube
X (formerly Twitter)
Facebook Fan Group
TikTok
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7 February 2026, 8:00 am - 41 minutes 58 secondsThe Beatles (Pt. 1): Stoned with Dylan, Dosed with Acid, Outrunning Knife Wielding Maniac, and Driving the World to the Brink with Beatlemania
The Beatles caused fans to enter into manic states, literally. People died because of it. The band swallowed more pills than food in their early years. They took acid by accident and changed the course of popular music forever as a result. Aside from all the screaming fans and the drugs, beating at the heart of Beatlemania was always just “a great little band.” Listen to learn how the Beatles saved America from certain doom with some of the most exciting music ever made.
To see the complete list of contributors, visit disgracelandpod.com
This episode was originally published on February 23, 2021.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6 February 2026, 8:00 am - 39 minutes 16 secondsBonus Episode: Turnstile and Why Hardcore Music is Now Pop Music plus Our Greatest Live Music Childhood Memories
Turnstile is the first hardcore band to ever win a Grammy award. Two grammys actually. And now hardcore will never be the same. Listen to this bonus episode of Disgraceland to hear why. And as always, Jake responds to your voicemails, texts, dms, emails and more.
For more wild stories from the world of music and true crime, check out these Disgraceland episodes:
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 February 2026, 8:00 am - 39 minutes 45 secondsJane’s Addiction (Pt. 2): Nothing’s Shocking, Not Dead Teenage Girls or Onstage Brawls
An onstage brawl in Boston. A dead teenage girl turned into art. Warehouse shows and a freak scene bankrolled by transgression. Listen to find out how Jane’s Addiction helped build the alternative nation – and how the freedom that they worshiped eventually turned into control, violence, and collapse.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
Facebook Fan Group
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3 February 2026, 8:01 am - 38 minutes 29 secondsJane’s Addiction (Pt. 1): Taking Risks, Enduring Pain, and a Killer on the Loose
Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro was only 15 years old when his mother was brutally murdered in her apartment by her ex-boyfriend. The killer escaped, and for eight long years eluded capture. During those years, Dave Navarro couldn’t shake the pain of his mother’s death or the fear of knowing that the man responsible was at large. He became addicted to heroin. He nearly died when he OD’d in a London flat. And his addiction helped drive a rift in his band just as they were reaching a critical and commercial height.
This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including descriptions of stalking and domestic violence.
This episode was originally published on December 5, 2023.
To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 February 2026, 7:59 am - 38 minutes 4 secondsKendrick Lamar: The Streets, the Studio, and the Struggle for Mercy
Before Kendrick Lamar became one of the greatest lyricists of his generation, he was K.Dot—a kid from Compton with a front-row seat to trauma, loyalty, violence, and survival. This is the story of good kid, m.A.A.d city and the real-life events that fueled it. It’s about a drive-by shooting that changed Kendrick forever. About a murder. About a robbery. About friends who vanished and others who couldn’t be saved. It’s about escaping the cycle without forgetting where you came from. And above all, it’s about mercy—in a world that rarely offers any.
This episode was originally published on August 26, 2025.
For a full list of contributors, visit disgracelandpod.com
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
30 January 2026, 7:59 am - 40 minutes 51 secondsBonus Episode: Conspiracies, Kanye, and Contrition
This week in the after party Jake consider's Ye's recent ad in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for his actions over the last few years. Is Kanye's contrition genuine, or is there some other, more cynical motivation behind it? We get into all of it plus some extra crazy Kanye and David Bowie related conspiracy theories in the exclusive All Access section, and as always Jake takes your voicemails, text, emails, and more.
For more wild stories from the world of music and true crime, check out these Disgraceland episodes:
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 January 2026, 8:00 am - 38 minutes 57 secondsLady Gaga (Pt.2): How Did Lady Gaga’s Friend and Collaborator Die? And Why Do The Conspiracy Theorists Refuse to let go of This Story?
Who was Lina Morgana? Why do people believe she was murdered by Lady Gaga? And what does the Illuminati have to do with Gaga’s seat at the table of unprecedented popstar success? We dissect all of this, as well as Gaga’s complicated relationship with the truth in regards to her own mythmaking, in this part two episode on Lady Gaga.
To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER
Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:
X (formerly Twitter)
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
27 January 2026, 8:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App